


Tales of the Crusaders

by MsFaust



Series: Inky Tales [10]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Deal with a Devil, Gen, Half-Human, Magic, Origin Story, Transfer of powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2018-12-25 10:39:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12034182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsFaust/pseuds/MsFaust
Summary: [Summary in progress]





	1. The Faust Legacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joey's running out of time, so he turns to one of the few people he knows he can trust.

"I don't believe this."

"Believe it or not," Joey said. "Doesn't make it any less true."

"You're--" Henry faltered briefly. "You're Faust."

Joey gave a nod. "And proud of it." He gave a dramatic swish of his cloak. "Truth be told, that's a large part of why I asked you to come here."

"Maybe you should start from the beginning," Bendy suggested.

"Yes," Joey agreed. "I suppose I should."

(BATIM)

_Only a few years after Sillyvision released its first cartoon, I found myself inheriting the Mantle. I don't know why it chose me, though obviously it couldn't have gone to his killer. Mantles generally avoid transferring to those who already have powers, and Mayhem's strength is clearly superhuman. In any case, I decided that I wasn't going to go down the same path as my predecessors. Thus, I became the first heroic Faust._

_While not all Mantles are mystical in nature, they do come with the collective knowledge of all previous bearers. As such, I was able to find a spell that could give physical forms to spirits, though doing so would also grant them complete autonomy. I didn't mind, though--I had no desire to make a slave out of my creation or his friends._

_Interestingly, with their new bodies came unexpected abilities:_  
- _Bendy turned out to be a literal speed demon._  
- _Boris's senses and ability to recover proved more acute than those of a normal wolf._  
- _And Alice displayed the power to generate and control light._

_In between running Sillyvision and my hero career, I helped train them in their powers, though I wasn't sure how I was going to introduce them to the world of metas._

_Then, ten years ago, things changed._

_If you recall, I gained custody of my niece Bella after my sister's death. Only a month afterwards, I noticed a mark on her neck--one that I recognized as the symbol of Baal, a demon lord of great power. As it turns out, her mother had offered her to Baal in exchange for remaining young and beautiful for life._

_Not about to let her suffer due to her mother's vanity, I contacted Baal and offered to take her place. He accepted, as such an offer takes selflessness, which indicates a more valuable soul._

_The contract states that Bella was to be claimed on her twenty-first birthday, which is only a few days away. Before that happens, I need to pass on the Mantle. If I don't, the powers of Faust could end up in the wrong hands._

_And that, Henry, is where you come in._

(BATIM)

"So let me get this straight," Henry finally said after a few moments. "You want me to take over as Faust, heroics and everything."

"Essentially, yes," Joey replied. "I know it sounds like a lot to ask of you, but--"

"Why me?" Henry asked, sounding more curious than anything. "Believe me, I feel honored, but surely there are other possible heirs to the Mantle."

"Not many. I would ask Bella, but she took to studying magic, becoming a heroine in her own right. Since she's not an option..." Joey sighed. "I want to make sure the power of Faust doesn't fall into the hands of someone who would use it for evil, and I know you well enough to be sure you aren't that kind of person. If I can't trust you with this power, who can I trust?"

Henry was quiet for a moment. He wasn't that familiar with Mantles, but he knew how they were passed: either the host transferred them willingly, they were granted to his or her killer, or they sought out 'worthy' bearers upon their previous host's death. Only the first means gave Joey any say in who became his successor.

Furthermore, all the previous bearers of the Mantle had been supervillains--at least, by modern standards. It was one of the oldest known, having been around since the 16th century. And all of them--according to records--were considered potent threats. Had Joey not chosen to use his powers for good...

In that moment, Henry had his answer.

(BATIM)

_One week later..._

Three figures perched atop the roof of an apartment building, each in a distinct costume. The smallest--Bendy--wore a scarlet and black racer's outfit with a matching helmet and a 'motion line' emblem on his chest. Boris had gone with a yellow and brown ensemble with a 'beastly' motif. And Alice was decked out in a short-sleeved top, skirt, tights, and domino mask in pale blue and white. The three had chosen the names Blitz, Power Beast, and Aurora, respectively.

"See anything, Bendy?" asked Power Beast. "Sorry, I mean Blitz."

"Not yet," replied the little demon, peering out over the streets below. "Wait--I think I got something!"

"Hard not to see it," commented Henry, emerging from the shadows. It was somewhat strange to see him as he was back during his Sillyvision days, never mind in the royal purple hooded robe they'd seen so often on Joey. Still, they'd quickly started to form a bond with him--another reason Joey had trusted Henry with the Mantle.

"Any idea what's going on?" Aurora inquired.

"Frostburn escaped from prison not too long ago," Henry answered. "And once again, he's causing havoc. Pyrokinesis and cryokinesis are a very destructive combination, so he needs to be stopped A.S.A.P."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

In a blur of motion, Blitz sped off. Power Beast and Aurora followed, the latter creating a disc of light for the former to ride on. Henry gave a smile before pulling up his hood and casting a levitation spell, rising into the air.


	2. Title Bout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally steps out of one ring and into another.

_Okay, here goes nothin'_ Wally thought to himself.

Slipping on his gloves, he made his way to the arena. His opponent--Sergei "Panzer" Stephens--was waiting for him.

"So, you're Franks' brother, huh?"

"That's right," Wally answered, smirking. "Don't worry--him bein' family ain't gonna matter. You ain't gotta go easy on me or nothin."

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the announcer's voice rang out. "Presenting our next matchup: Panzer Stephens versus Wally Franks!"

Standing outside the boxing ring, the referee brought down his hand. "Begin!"

The two men began their fight, dodging and throwing punches. Both were experienced in the sport, so landing a major blow proved difficult for both of them

 _He's good_ , Wally thought. _But if he thinks he's gonna beat me..._

Dodging a right cross, he prepared to throw an uppercut.

... _he's got another thing comin'!_

POW!

Sergei went flying out of the ring, drops of blood flying from his mouth as he hurtled through the air. He hit the floor with a loud crack, resulting in shocked gasps from the audience--and his opponent.

"Damnit!" Wally swore, running over to the fallen man. "I didn't mean ta hit ya that hard, I swear!"

"'S'okay," Sergei replied with a weak grin. "Kinda figured that. Guess you can't be a lightweight tier no more, though."

(BATIM)

"Can ya put another one on, Willy?"

Will Franks gave his brother a look as he added another weight to the machine. "You're almost up to the max on this thing. Sure you ain't gettin' tired?"

"Not even breakin' a sweat," Wally answered. "I got a feeling I won't be takin' part in regular fights no more, what with me breakin' his arm 'n everything."

"But Sergei ain't pressing charges," Will said. "Everyone knows it was an accident."

"True, but I don't think I'm even close to my strength limit." Pausing to take a drink from the water bottle nearby, he ran a hand through his hair. "Might even be too strong for the heavyweights. 'Sides, they don't let metas compete in regular fighting."

Will was silent for a moment, watching Wally continue with the weight machine. Finally, he stood, picking up the last of the weights.

"If ya wanna keep fighting," he said. "I could probably get in touch with Metaman Smackdown. I know a couple o' guys there."

(BATIM)

Dressed in a green skintight outfit accented with bronze, Wally--or Atlas, as he called himself in costume--ran towards the sound of a commotion. Seven other costumed figures were engaged in a fight. Two of them he recognized as Shockwave and Parkour, a couple of local heroes. The rest were apparently villains, one being the winged lion-man known as Griffin.

One of the villains fired a blast of energy at Shockwave, knocking him into a streetlamp. As he pulled himself up, Atlas approached.

"Looks like you could use a hand."

Shockwave looked surprised for a moment. Then he grinned. "Yeah, Griffin and his pals have really been giving us a hard time here."

"Hey, ain't you that Atlas guy?" Parkour asked. "From Smackdown?"

"Yeah," Atlas replied, delivering a punch to a guy in dark gray. "I was a boxer until I got my powers. Didn't think about going hero until after Multiplayer tried robbing the Waid Arena, and almost killed my brother." He chuckled. "Hell of a way to find out I'm bulletproof."

"So, you planning to stay solo, or join a team?" asked Shockwave, holding out his hands and shooting electric bolts at the guy who knocked him back.

"Eh, I was thinkin' I'd get a little experience under my belt before I decide."


	3. A Different Kind Of Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mask doesn't just cover one's face. Sometimes it conceals a change in personality.

"Draw me closer to you. Oh I will give anything, I will give anything. Save me, heal me, what can I do? You still deserve the fame, and they will know your name!"

Sammy tapped his pen against his desk. So far, the song was looking to be an excellent fit for the character of Conrad, the antagonist of _Jeanie_. It captured his erotomaniac obsession with the titular heroine, a singer whose heart belonged to her manager Will. He'd been a little skeptical about the character, seeing as he was clearly based on Mark David Chapman, but Benjamin--his longtime friend and the playwright who created _Jeanie_ \--had assured him that it would have a happy ending. Sammy was relieved by this, as he'd developed a preference for those.

"Jeanie, you've forsaken me, and I don't know what to do, 'cause everything I do is for you..."

He tapped his chin in thought. What next?

After a few minutes, he sighed and put the pen down. Standing up, he concentrated slightly, and a black substance emerged from his body, covering him completely.

He had always found the ability to call his costume out at will to be useful.

"Taking a break, Ben!"

(BATIM)

_It was astonishing how stupid criminals could be sometimes._

Who in their right mind robs a theater, especially one that's only a few blocks from the police station? _Sammy thought to himself._ True, we're doing quite well, but still.

_Ducking into the orchestra pit, he took a moment to calm himself. It was fortunate that the robbers hadn't seen him, especially given what he was about to do._

_Just over a week ago, he'd crashed his car while trying to avoid hitting a dog. The truck he'd hit was carrying a prototype of some new material--the driver described it as 'a cross between latex and spandex.' Some of the stuff had seeped into his wounds, but it didn't seem to have any negative effects, so the hospital let him leave as soon as they'd healed._

_That morning, he'd found a patch of the same substance on his arm, which ended up covering the entire limb. While trying to figure out how it had happened, he'd been startled by the neighbor's cat screeching (as it usually did in the early morning), resulting in the discovery that the covering had made his arm elastic. Curiously enough, even after he'd retracted the covering back into his skin, the effect didn't wear off. He had yet to try covering his whole body, but given what was going on right now, it seemed like as good a time as any._

_Taking a deep breath, he allowed the substance to flow out over his whole body. A quick glance in the reflective surface showed a near-featureless face, with only a pair of eyes visible. He nodded, certain he wouldn't be recognized, then sprang into action._

_The first guy had a glass jaw, going down with one punch. One of the other two immediately drew his gun, but the bullets couldn't even pierce Sammy's skin._

_"Nice try, pal." The songwriter smirked, despite his mouth not being visible before engaging the two, dodging and striking with great agility._

I have to admit, _he thought._  This is kind of fun.

(BATIM)

"You know," said Sanctuary. "If I hadn't met you before, I never would have guessed you and Sammy Lawrence were the same person. The way you act in your civilian identity is so different."

"That's the idea," replied Ebon, reclining on a pew. "Absolutely no one would think a wet blanket like I used to be could possibly be such a wisecracker. Though maybe I should have picked out a name beforehand, rather than letting the reporter do it."

"If you had the chance," Sanctuary asked. "What would you pick?"

"Maybe Yorick, like the jester mentioned in Hamlet." Flipping into a standing position, Ebon struck the Danish Prince's iconic pose. "Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio."

Sanctuary chuckled. "Ever the theatrical one, aren't you?"

"Comedy or tragedy, we all wear masks, my friend," the black-clad hero said. "Some more obvious than others."


	4. Sweet Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years ago, a whirlwind romance between a hero and a noblewoman left the former with a beautiful daughter. Now she has powers, and is determined to be a hero in her own right.

Peter Campbell entered the principal's office, and was immediately assaulted by his nine-year-old daughter.

"I didn't mean to do it, Dad! I really didn't!"

"What happened, honey?"

"Seems she accidentally put her music class into a trance," explained the principal. "Fortunately, she was able to snap them out of it pretty quickly. Still, you might want to find someone who can help her control her powers. That girl has the voice of an angel."

"I will."

Putting a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder, Peter led her out to the car. Once they were on the road, Susie asked the question that had been nagging at her.

"Dad, you don't have sonic powers, so why do you think I do? Sure, kids can get different powers than their parents, but still."

He sighed. While he had expected this conversation to happen eventually, he still didn't feel ready for it.

"You know how, as Mr. Magnificent, I had multiple encounters with the Cryptos? Well, I became very close to one of them. Had things been different..."

He shook himself. Now was not the time to reminisce.

"I think it's time you met your mother."

(BATIM)

"Wow!" Susie gazed at the city below with wide eyes. "It's amazing!"

Peter chuckled as he began his descent to the ground. "Yes, Arcadia City is quite impressive. Somehow, it never ceases to amaze."

His daughter trembled with excitement. After nine years, she was going to meet her mother for the first time. The only reason she had grown up without her was because her mother had been betrothed to a member of her own race. Fortunately, her intended was very understanding, and had allowed his bride-to-be to remain with Peter until Susie was old enough that he could care for her alone.

As they landed, Susie saw a woman standing nearby--a woman with long blonde hair like hers. The woman turned, her expression becoming one of surprise.

"Hello, Danae," Peter said warmly.

"Peter?" the woman asked. "What are you doing here?"

"It seems our daughter has your powers," he explained. "So I thought why not give her the chance to meet and learn from you?"

(BATIM)

It was an excellent night to fly. No rain, light winds, and she was finished with rehearsals.

Swooping playfully through the air, Susie--in the glittering white and pink costume of Siren--let out a happy sigh. Even though she didn't have her father's strength or toughness, she had inherited his ability to fly along with her mother's sonic powers.

"Hi!"

Glancing to her left, Siren caught a glimpse of Aurora flying beside her on wings of light. She'd heard about her and her friends, but hadn't actually met them before."

"Oh, hello there! Aurora, right?"

The angel nodded. "Nice to meet you, Siren. Faust told me about you."

"Oh, did he?" Siren slowed her flight so Aurora could join her. "He would be bearer number twenty-nine of that Mantle, if I'm not mistaken."

"The current one, yes." Aurora snapped her fingers. "Oh, I just remembered! He says he's looking for someone to help him. Apparently, there's some kind of big threat coming."

Siren frowned. "A big threat, huh? Well, I suppose I could offer a hand. Let's talk to him."


	5. Chaotic Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stage is set with the final founder's introduction.

Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, Norman focused on the various objects set before him--a pencil, a book, a hammer, a scratched-up CD, a doll, and an old VHS cassette.

"Just what's in front of you," he reminded himself. "Nothin' else."

Slowly, the CD rose off the floor, rotating slowly. It was followed by the doll and the cassette tape a moment later. As the young man opened his eyes, the three objects began to float in a circle, rotating as they did so.

It had only been about a month since he'd discovered his psionic abilities. In that time, he'd managed to get a handle on his telepathy, as well as learned that they were the result of experiments conducted on his grandfather during World War 2. Norman suspected that said experiments had contributed--if not caused--the old man's health problems later in life. Luckily, Norman's father had suffered no ill effects.

"Norman? You in here?"

The eighteen-year-old let out a growl of annoyance as the objects fell to the floor, his concentration broken.

"Go away, Curtis! I'm busy!"

On the other side of the door, his older brother sighed. "Awright, awright. You don't have to get snippy. Max wants to know if you've seen his Blackguardz CD."

"Dad threw it out after he broke that window blasting it, remember?"

"Oh, right."

As Curtis's footsteps faded, Norman closed his eyes once more.

"Okay. Let's try again."

(BATIM)

Three years later...

Telekinetically hovering beside the armored truck, Norman scanned its interior, sensing two minds in addition to that of the driver. He held out a hand, and the truck slowed to a stop.

"What the hell?" growled the driver. "Why'd the brakes--?"

"Hello, boys."

Before any of the robbers could shoot the man in the dark green and indigo costume, they felt a tug. Their guns were yanked out of their hands and tossed aside.

"Now, let's settle this a bit more like gentlefolk, shall we?"

Lowering himself to the floor, he engaged the trio of thieves. True, he could have dealt with them easily with his powers, but he felt they gave him an unfair advantage, so he simply used his telepathy to predict their moves. By the time the police showed up, all three were down for the count.

He hadn't thought of a name at the time, so he was relieved to find he'd been dubbed Brainiac. There were worse monikers, after all.

(BATIM)

Present day...

Norman sat upright in bed, gasping heavily. It wasn't often he had premonitions like this, but this one was a doozy.

He'd seen hordes of shadowy creatures--shaped like humans from the waist up, their lower halves nothing more than masses of darkness. They were being commanded by larger, more horrifying monsters, who were led by a demonic-looking shadow being.

He knew, without the slightest trace of doubt, that those things were coming. And soon.

The moment he caught his breath, he donned his costume and levitated out into the night. He had to find Faust--the shadow army was probably something a mystic would be aware of, and there weren't many of those in town.

If he recalled correctly, the most recent Faust had formed his own little team with three new heroes. With any luck, the Violet Sorcerer would be amenable to expanding that team. They'd need all the help they could get.


End file.
